WASHINGTON, DC, January 23, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an interview with LifeSiteNews.com following the Vigil for Life Mass in Washington Wednesday, Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley expressed his great desire for a renewal of faith among Catholics. Asked about the problem of Catholic politicians promoting abortion, the Archbishop noted that the problem "is not only politicians but those (Catholics) who vote for them." He stressed repeatedly the "great need for adult catechesis among our people."

"These politicians should know that if they're not voting correctly on these life issues that they shouldn't dare come to communion," the Archbishop told LifeSiteNews.com.

Archbishop O'Malley noted that beyond pro-abortion politicians, that reception of Holy Communion by those not in a state of grace is sadly commonplace. "I think it's in the context of a greater problem - Catholics feel that everyone is entitled to go to communion all the time. That has to be addressed. You know if a (pro-abortion) politician asked me I would say you shouldn't go to communion, I wouldn't go to communion. They don't understand why." He explained, "At a funeral sometimes they will announce that communion is for Catholics and people get all offended, so we've lost the notion of the sacredness of communion and the kind of disposition we need to have."

Aside from his stressing the "great need" for adult catechesis, the Boston Archbishop said the solution lies in holiness. Catholics must "be willing to live their faith heroically, the testimony of holiness is the only thing that's going to be able to convince people. Mother Teresa could speak about life issues in a way, because of the ethos of her life, that was much more powerful than the most eloquent preacher or teacher. We have to live our faith very deeply in order to draw people."

********************************************************

Madison Bishop Backs Burke on Pro-Abortion Politicians

Wisconsin Prelate Agrees With Denying Them Holy Communion

MADISON, Wisconsin, JAN. 23, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison says he is in "complete agreement" with La Crosse Bishop Raymond Burke's position to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion and euthanasia.

Bishop Burke has instructed priests in his diocese to refuse Communion to politicians who support abortion until they recant their positions. He will be installed as archbishop of St. Louis next week.

Bishop Morlino suggested that even though he agrees with Bishop Burke's assessment of Catholic teaching, he might not decide on the same course of action for the Madison Diocese, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Bishop Molino has been head of the Madison since August.

In his weekly column in the Catholic Herald newspaper, Bishop Molino wrote: "It is indeed the case that Catholics who are public office holders enjoy the blessing of only one conscience -- they do not have one conscience for their private lives and one for their public responsibility, one for Church matters and another for State matters. That could not be more clear."

He continued: "The one conscience given to all of us seeks the truth that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, truth that He has chosen to speak forth through His Body the Church. It is through the Church that we receive the mind of Christ, and it is clearly not possible for a Catholic public office holder to leave the mind of Christ aside as he or she enters a Senate or House chamber or the office building whence they discharge their particular function in public life." ZE04012322

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, JAN. 20, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Alfred Hughes has declared that lawmakers who support abortion and assisted suicide should no longer receive holy Communion.

The New Orleans archbishop stopped short of banning priests from giving Communion to such politicians.

"When Catholic officials openly support the taking of human life in abortion, euthanasia or the destruction of human embryos, they are no longer faithful members in the Church and should not partake of Holy Communion," Archbishop Hughes wrote in his weekly column in the archdiocesan paper, the Clarion Herald.

He also warned Catholic voters about neglecting their duty to uphold the culture of life. "Moreover, citizens who promote this unjust taking of human life by their vote or support of such candidates share in responsibility for this grave evil," he wrote

Archbishop Hughes' declaration comes in the wake of a decree by Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse, Wisconsin, who banned Catholic lawmakers who support abortion and euthanasia from receiving Communion.

Ques:...will these Cardinals have the Holy Spirit's Fortitude to challenge the Principalities & Powers and Wickedness in High Places that feed the DemonRatRepubSatanic message from their Senatorial/Congressional seats of earthly power???

Ephesians 6:11-12 11 "Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places...".

3
posted on 01/24/2004 12:10:20 AM PST
by harbingr
(USA/FreeRepublic/Constitution Party: the last Best hope of mankind)

This is good, especially O'Malley's statement. I had gotten the impression that he was much more wishy-washy on it.

He's right on one major point: years of lousy catechetics have left us with a Catholic population that will vote for these "Catholic" politicians. (And that has an abortion rate higher than that of Protestants.)

Special attention should be on Archbishop Sean O'Malley, as he stressed repeatedly the "great need for adult catechesis among our people."

Adult catechesis must be the natural continuation of catechesis on the sanctity of life that begins in pre-school. The conference of Bishops wrote this themselves in Respect Life Curriculum Guidelines published in 1977. Herein lies the root of the problemthey never implemented it.

The holocaust rages on BECAUSE Christians (generally) were not properly educated beginning when they were young about the sanctity of Life before Birth. By the time the majority reached 18, VOTING for the defense of LIFE was not a priority.

As a whole, Christian schools continue graduating more voters and future government leaders whose record of defending Life is no better than the national average. Proof of this sad reality is evident with every election and with every legislative session. Yet in all the strategies for Pro-Life victory, Christian school students have been virtually overlooked. Thirty years later, the culture of death has become further entrenched. However, our Movement continues to be primarily focused on changing the hearts and minds of adults. Few would argue that it is much harder to change the minds of adults than it is to properly form the minds of children, especially in matters of morality. Since the decision of Roe v. Wade, tens of millions of Christian school students could have received a comprehensive Pro-Life education. This group would today constitute a huge voting block; and with them, the American Holocaust might have already ended.

We are caught in this self-defeating cycle of death that must stop. Participation of the leadership of our Movement, especially those who have authority in the Churches and schools, will be imperative if we are to effect this change. It is crucial that these leaders recognize the dire need for a major change in the way this life-and-death battle has been handled for the last 30 years.

Christian educators have a captive audience of school students whose minds are open vessels for learning the truth about the sanctity of life. There is no valid reason why the comprehensive teaching of the sanctity of life before birth is not mandatory in all Christian schools, Bible study, and CCD classes, especially since Roe v. Wade. If the scourge of state-sanctioned abortion is ever to be reversed, Church leaders will have to exercise their responsibility and MANDATE that students be taught comprehensively about the sanctity of life before birth, and also about a Christian's responsibility to vote for Life. Pro-Life leaders will have to make this appeal to the leaders of the Church.

"The solution to ending the culture of death does not realistically lie with changing or reversing the minds of pro-abortion adults; it lies with preserving the 99+ % of children that are already pro-life on their first day of school." THE MISSING KEY OF THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT

Please let me know if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

12
posted on 01/24/2004 7:16:51 AM PST
by cpforlife.org
(The Missing Key of the Pro-Life Movement is at www.CpForLife.org)

Why not just excommunicate them, as the Catholics did to the Louisiana segregationist leader Leander H. Perez, Sr., in the 1960s? Then if they show up on church property, call law enforcement. Ban them from the premises. Stores ban shoplifters from their premises; why can't churches ban such undesirables too? To do so would not be mean-spirited but would show that the church is serious about the evil of abortion.

Bishop Burke was in La Crosse, WI, going down river to St. Louis. Archbishop Hughes is further down river in New Orleans. Bishop Robert Morlino is resides along the coarse of the Mighty Wisconsin, a major tributary to the Mississip.

And there you have it. It's the rivers! Rivers that transport the bounty of this great land, now carrying its redemption.

Down To The River To Pray

As I went down to the river to pray Studyin about that good ol' way and who shall wear the starry crown? Good Lord show me the way!

O sisters let's go down Lets go down, Come on down O sisters lets go down Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray Studyin about that good ol way And who shall wear the robe & crown Good Lord show me the way

O brothers lets go down Let's go down, Come on down O brothers lets go down Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray Studyin about that good ol way And who shall wear the star and crown? Good lord show me the way

O fathers lets go down Let's go down, Come on down O fathers lets go down Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray studying about that good ol way And who shall wear th robe and crown Good Lord show me the way

O mothers lets go down Come on down, don't you wanna go down? O Mothers lets go down Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray Studin about that good ol' way And who shall wear the star and crown? Good Lord show me the way

15
posted on 01/24/2004 9:07:08 AM PST
by Barnacle
("It is as it was." JPII)

But there are still the numerous non-Catholic pro-aborts in office. Catholics as a group voted for Klintoon both times!And as a Catholic I am disgusted to have to say that statistically, had more Catholics voted in the 2000 presidential election, the pro-abortion candidate - Algore would have won.

The numbers below speak for themselves. Half of the people who voted are aged 18-44, and eighty percent claim to be Christian. All in the 18-44 group were in school since Roe v. Wade, and could have received a Pro-Life education.

- 2000 Presidential Election -

Source: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/epolls/US/P000.html (Note: The above chart was constructed using data from the listed source.)

This is why I wrote THE MISSING KEY OF THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT. Everything the Movement is doing today is great, and I love them for it. But without comprehensive pro-life edu. beginning in preschool through to highschool --we have for 31 years been on the loosing side. This is the fundamental root cause of our situation.

"Through the process of ongoing education from early childhood through mature adulthood, programs developed from these Guidelines will strengthen positive attitudes toward life and weaken attitudes which are negative."

"The education envisioned by these Guidelines seeks long-term improvements. The assumption here is (1) that positive respect life attitudes can be inculcated through educational processes, and (2) that these attitudes and values, reflected in the many issues of daily life, will have practical impact on people's lives and environment."

This 109 page book holds a tremendous potential to create a majority of pro-life Christians who would live, work, and VOTE to restore equal protection to all citizensborn and UNBORN.

16
posted on 01/24/2004 9:20:03 AM PST
by cpforlife.org
(The Missing Key of the Pro-Life Movement is at www.CpForLife.org)

First off, 'excommunication' has already been done. The letter from Bp Burke, telling certain pols NOT to receive Communion until they publicly recant, IS excommunication.

Other Bishops have not put it in writing (to our direct knowledge--it COULD be, but nobody's telling...) but, verbally, they have said the same thing (Madison and Boston.)

As to banning them from the property--that's not the Catholic way. It is the right of every Catholic to attend Mass (unless they are otherwise subject to restrictions for violence, etc., as you might expect) Thus, the Bishop cannot ban them from showing up.

But the "shame" quotient is very high here...

18
posted on 01/24/2004 12:01:44 PM PST
by ninenot
(So many cats, so few recipes)

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